Cuppa Tea
by wolfsrainrules
Summary: Related oneshots in a universe where Sherlock and John meet much earlier and how it effects everything and everyone else. Sherlock spots John sitting by the sandbox at the park. It looks like he's actually observing people so Sherlock says hello. Turns out John likes his name, thinks his ability to deduce is 'cool', and wants to play pirates. Sherlock decides to keep him.
1. Chapter 1

**This is going to be a collection of one-shots set in Sherlock if Sherlock met John when they were both five years old. Each new chapter will be related to this universe but may take place somewhere else in the timeline. Read the Summary of each new chapter please. Enjoy otherwise.  
**_Summary: Sherlock met John Watson when he was five years old and being forced by his mother to 'socialize' at a park. Sherlock knew the moment John had asked him to play pirates after he had deduced a man at the park he had found that friend Mummy wanted him to make._

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The first time Sherlock Holmes meets John Watson he is five years old.

Mummy had brought Mycroft and him to the park to 'make friends'.

Sherlock thought it was stupid. No one ever wanted to stay near him once they found out he was 'different.' It didn't matter what he did, once he did something 'weird' the other children avoided him.

It wasn't his fault everyone was an idiot.

Honestly.

All he did was tell everyone the truth, it wasn't his fault that no one wanted to hear it.

But Mummy had insisted he go 'socialize' and forced him to go to the park.

So here he was, staring at all the _stupid oblivious_ children trying to decide who he would approach to make Mummy happy, when he sees him.

It's a little blonde haired brown eyed child his age, sitting by himself under a tree near the sandbox watching people.

Sherlock approaches him because it appears someone his age it actually _observing_ his surroundings, and that's _interesting._

"Hello." The little blonde greets him as he approaches.

"Hello."

"My name is John, what's yours?"

"Sherlock."

"Really?"

Sherlock waits for John to poke fun at his name, like so many others had.

"That's so cool! My name is so plain. I wish I had an awesome name like that."

Sherlock's eyes widened before his lips began to pull up into a smile. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Sherlock sits down next to him and asks "What are you doing?"

"I was watching people. I like watching them. They're funny."

"Really?" Sherlock scans the crowds before turning back to John "How are they funny?"

John grins. "They do funny things. Like that man over there. He keeps looking at his phone. He hasn't seen the lady over there trying to get him to look at her. Or the girl on the swings. She keeps singing funny songs. I just like watching everyone."

Sherlock grins. So he _was_ observing people! Not well, but he was trying and that's more than most people did. Sherlock decided he liked him.

"The man with the phone is scared. He has a ring in his pocket. He wants to marry the lady watching him, and is scared he's going to be late to wherever they're going, but he promised his daughter to let her play for a little longer."

As Sherlock spoke John's eyes got wider and wider. When he stopped speaking John's eyes lit up "That's so cool!" his grin was wide and infectious and Sherlock found himself grinning back, surprised and happy that John had thought it was 'cool' instead of yelling at him to shut up.

John and Sherlock sat still for a while before John finally shifted and turned to Sherlock. "Do you want to play pirates with me?"

Sherlock stilled and stared at John.

Pirates.

Sherlock loved pirates. He wanted to be one.

John liked his name, thought his ability to see the truth was 'cool' and wanted to play pirates.

Right then and there, Sherlock decided he was keeping him.

John would be his friend.

Maybe Mummy was right.

The park wasn't all bad.

Not if people like John were there.

Sherlock grinned happily at him.

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

_Summary: Mycroft wasn't really sure about this 'John' fellow that Sherlock had taken a liking to. Not at first. The first time he hears Sherlock_ laughing_ really honestly laughing he decides right then and there that John would be protected so he could hear his brother laugh like that again._

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Mycroft Holmes is very, very smart for a 12 year old. A Prodigy.

He has always watched over his younger brother, ever since Sherlock had reached out from the blue baby blanket and wrapped his little fist around Mycroft's finger.

He watched as his mother tried to make Sherlock and himself go out and make friends over and over.

He watched as Sherlock was turned away again and again. As people took offence to his higher intellect and ability to read all the obvious signs that most everyone overlooked. As people tried to hurt him both physically and mentally because they didn't like that his brain worked differently from everyone else especially for a five year old.

The day that Sherlock walked up to a small blonde haired brown eyed boy under a tree by the sandbox Mycroft had thought it would end like every other trip out into all the noise and people. He thought the little blonde would be offended and angry and Sherlock would walk away with a sneer on his face just like every other time they had gone through these outings with Mummy.

Instead he is left watching in surprise as the little blonde smiles up at Sherlock and Sherlock willingly sits down next to the child and engages in an actual conversation.

Mycroft was surprised then, but he had thought it wouldn't last and kept watching them.

Then he has saw his brother go utterly still and stare at the blonde. That was a warning sign with Sherlock about his emotional state. When Sherlock went completely still his emotions were very close to overwhelming him no matter if it was anger or shock or happiness. Mycroft had thought Sherlock had said something to the blonde and the blonde had said something back. Instead he is left staring in wondering shock as Sherlock's entire face lights up with a genuine smile.

He had never seen a smile like that on his brother's face before, and it shocked Mycroft that it was the plain blonde haired brown eyed boy that was standing next to Sherlock that put it there.

He spent the rest of the day at the park watching in shock as the blonde haired boy coaxed Sherlock into forgetting his intellect for a while and just playing Pirates with him all without trying.

Mycroft wondered back over to his Mother, eyes never really leaving his brother as he dashed all over the park playing with the blonde a wide happy smile on his face and his laughter echoing over the park. "Mummy?" 

Mrs. Violet Holmes was a very intelligent woman- her babies had gotten most of their intellect from her. She understood that her boys' minds worked on a level that most of the world could only dream about and thus most of the world would shun them in one way or another for being different than the norm.

She also understood that no matter how far ahead of the rest of the world her babies were, everyone needed someone they could trust and fall back on that wasn't family. Family was expected to catch family- no matter how much family loved each other it would always have a tinge of obligation in it. Everyone needed someone who they could trust to catch them in times of trouble that caught them because they _wanted to_ and weren't obligated by blood to try.

She had been trying for years to find that someone for her babies.

When Sherlock and Mycroft had gone out into the park, she knew they did it mostly to make her happy, but she knew one day they would meet that person who became family by choice, and would be loved just as much if not more than they loved her.

When Sherlock approached a little blonde by the sandbox Violet watched carefully- she had to _deal_ with parents once or twice when Sherlock said something the child took offense to and the parent got angry.

She was left sitting up and leaning forward when, minutes into the conversation with the blonde Sherlock sat next to him rather than walking away with a sneer. She watches carefully noticing when Sherlock stills- her boy was always moving so him sitting still was a sign- and when she sees the wide genuine smile on her boy's face she _knows_.

She watches as the blonde boy manages to get Sherlock to play Pirates with him and cause Sherlock to smile and laugh and chase the blonde all over the park without trying, and she _knows_.

Sherlock had found the person who would stand at his right side and watch over him.

The person who would catch him when he stumbled, not because he was family, but because that person wanted to catch Sherlock and stand at his side without obligation or ulterior motives.

"Mummy?"

Mycroft is standing at her side, eyes glued to his little brother.

She smiles. She knows both her boys. Sherlock has had his older brother wrapped around his little fingers ever since he reached out and wrapped a little baby fist around the then seven year old boy. Mycroft has always watched out for Sherlock's happiness and health.

As the two of them watch Sherlock rushing around the park with childish energy, a smile, and a laugh echoing from the normally reserved boy she knows what Mycroft is asking.

He's asking his mother for her opinion and help on judging the situation. He's turning to someone who taught him everything she knew. Someone who had worked for the Secret Service and knew all sorts of tells and tricks he hadn't learned yet.

Violet gives her son the answer he is asking for. "He's found him Mycroft. That little blonde is going to be Sherlock's chosen family. They don't know it yet, but all the signs are there."

Mycroft absorbs his mother's words and the sight of a normally reserved Sherlock rushing around giggling and smiling and enjoying someone's company for the first time and he _knows._

The boy would become important to Sherlock.

Sherlock is very important to Mycroft.

Therefore anything that can make his brother laugh and smile like that is to be protected.

Hours later Sherlock comes up to the two of them, cheeks red from exertion, chatting at the blonde boy and stops. "Mummy. Mycroft. This is John. I like him."

Mycroft fights a smirk, while Violet smiles down at John. "Hello John. You can call me Violet."

"Hello Miss Violet. It's nice to meet you." The blonde turns his blue eyes onto Mycroft and smiles "Nice to meet you too Mycroft. You have a cool name too. Mine is so plain."

Mycroft felt his eyebrow rise at the comment about his name. Most thought it odd. He had stopped more than one person from shorting his name to Mike. The only person who got to shorten his name besides Mummy was Sherlock, and Sherlock only ever called him My in very, very emotional moments. "Hello John. Nice to meet you."

As Mycroft watched John's eyes he realized that while John was nowhere near the Holmes level of intellect, he was in fact smarter than the average child and he fought a smirk.

Good.

John wasn't a goldfish.

He hadn't been too sure of John, but if he could make Sherlock smile, laugh, and play Mycroft would watch over him like he watched over Sherlock. Especially if he wasn't a goldfish. Who knew? Maybe John would pick up some things if he spent enough time around the Holmes family.

Not that he would say anything about that.

He glanced at Mummy.

She knew, but that was alright, she'd help.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just so everyone is clear: This is a VERY AU story. Meaning OOC is expected. I imagine that if John had gotten his hands on younger versions of **_**any**_** of the people in his life in cannon lots of things would be different. So…Yeah.**

_Summary: The first time John visits the Holmes' Manor, he's blown away. It's so _big_ and he feels almost small. Sherlock fixes it though and soon they're running around the garden outside playing pirates again- John knows it's Sherlock's favorite game- but this time John brought water pistols._

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John stares at the Manor. "It's so _big._" He only whispers it, but Sherlock, Mycroft and Violet all hear him.

"It's the ancestral Holmes' Manor. It has been used by my family for a long time." Sherlock tells him.

John is staring at the large brick mansion in front of him and fidgets. He's not used to such a large home. He's used to the small house he lives in with just enough room for his sister, him and their parents. The idea that Sherlock had…all of this…made John feel…small almost. He wondered why Sherlock had picked him out of the crowd in the park.

"Because you were interesting."

John jumps a little at the sound of Sherlock's voice, turning to look at his friend, who is watching him with bright ice blue eyes. "What?"

"You're interesting. You were _observing_ and you didn't get mad at me when I told you about the man on the bench. It's why I kept talking to you."

John blinked, distracted. "Do people get mad at you?" He was also impressed again at Sherlock's ability to almost read his mind.

"Usually."

"But…why?" John didn't understand. Sherlock was brilliant.

"They don't like that I can see everything and tell them."

"But…you're telling them the truth. Mum always tells me not to lie. So does everyone else. And you tell them stuff everyone can see if they know where to look. They shouldn't be mad at you for telling them the truth."

Sherlock smiled at him and John automatically grinned back.

Mycroft started at John. _"Oh."_ He suddenly realized why Sherlock had connected with John. He didn't have to hide his brain. John didn't get angry at him for pointing out all the different things he could see about a person at a glance. John _understood._ Maybe not completely, not yet, but he was on his way to understanding completely. Mycroft blinked once, his estimate of John growing just a bit more.

If he kept that up, Mycroft just might end up liking him on his own merits.

Violet watched the interaction with a small smile. John would be important to her boys. He would stay at Sherlock's right hand, but she thought he would be one of the few people Mycroft would end up protecting to _protect_… because he _cared_-no matter what he might tell others. Like he protected Sherlock.

Sherlock grabbed John's hand and dragged him into the manor without another word telling him where everything was and how he would have to show John the map he had made from memory so he didn't get lost.

After the tour Mycroft is drafted into watching over Sherlock and John as they play outside in the garden since they weren't allowed outside without someone older.

Mycroft acts like it annoys him on principle, but really he enjoys watching Sherlock laugh and play and be happy. It's not a hardship to watch his little brother enjoying himself when just a week before the closest Mycroft had seen to a smile on his brother's face had been a smirk when he got something to react _just so_ in one of his experiments.

They're playing Pirates again, but this time John had brought water pistols with him.

John brought the water pistols out- having filled them before stepping outside- and handed one to Sherlock.

The game of pirates would only stop when the water in the pistol ran out, where they would call 'refill' and run to the hose Sherlock said the gardener used. Both boys were careful not to ruin the plants they ran through.

Eventually the game moved closer to Mycroft and the twelve year old was surprised when he was suddenly shot in the face.

The boys had decided to team up and shoot Mycroft with their water pistols right in the face. Mycroft blinked rapidly, wiping the water from his face to stare at the laughing boys. John walked right up to him and offered a third water pistol "I thought you might play with us, so I brought another one just in case. Will you play Mycroft?"

Mycroft almost said no on principal, but both boys were watching him with these ridiculously happy expressions and hope in their eyes and for some _ridiculous_ reason Mycroft found himself reaching for the water pistol.

He didn't even realize he had it until both boys smiled up at him and ran for cover in the garden.

As soon as he saw his little brother smiling up at him though, Mycroft _knew_ he couldn't take it back and so, with a glance around the area to make sure no one saw what he was about to do, Mycroft jogged after the two five year olds.

From the second story of the manor, Violet Holmes smiled.

John Watson was a _good_ boy and an excellent influence on her boys.

Mycroft hadn't played with his little brother in the traditional sense since he was nine years old and Sherlock was two. It was one of the best sights she had seen since watching Sherlock's first meeting with John to see Mycroft jogging after his little brother and his friend in the garden ducking, dodging, and shooting the water pistols.

When she saw the small smile on Mycroft's face when he turned to face the manor while keeping his eyes on the two smaller boys Violet decided John Watson was welcome in their home at any time, and would have an open invitation on weekends. If she could help it that boy would be over at the manor at every opportunity.

Her smile grew as she continued to take pictures from her position. She knew if Sherlock or _especially_ Mycroft realized she had taken pictures of this they would stop or get embarrassed that they had been caught so she resorted to using an excellent quality camera to get pictures without letting them know.

There was absolutely no way she would let this go without taking pictures. Especially since _both_ her boys were there and smiling. There was none of the tension that had developed between her boys because they weren't sure how to interact with each other. Her eyes drifted to John.

The boy didn't know how much she owed him. Didn't even know he had done anything worth mentioning.

She decided then and there that she would protect him, for this if nothing else. For making her boys laugh and play together.

She snapped another picture, mentally making a note to save all of these pictures on her computer and protect all the files so Mycroft wouldn't try to get rid of the evidence.


	4. Chapter 4

_Summary: It all started with John wanting something sweet. There wasn't anything at Sherlock's so John asks to make his Nana's Chocolate Pound Cake. Mycroft supervises. In the end it is seven year old John Watson's Chocolate Pound Cake that starts Mycroft's cake addiction. Oops._

**Please note that John/Sherlock are SEVEN here so Mycroft is FOURTEEN.**

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It is around 2:00pm and John was craving something sweet.

When he asks Sherlock if there's anything inside the very large kitchen he tells John the last of the sweets were eaten last week. John really wants something sweet though, so he asks "Can I use the kitchen then?"

Sherlock shakes his head "Not alone. If Mycroft supervises and Mummy says it's alright then we can use it, but we need to ask."

John nods "I meant with Mycroft's help. I remember how to make Nana's chocolate pound cake, but we wouldn't be allowed to work the oven."

Sherlock leads John to Mycroft's room and asks "How do you remember the recipe?"

"I like Nana's house, and she bakes a lot. We've always made a chocolate pound cake together though. She told me she'd let me make the batter once I remembered the steps so I made sure I knew them. She always uses the oven though. I'm not allowed to touch it."

Sherlock pushes his brother's door open as he nods. "Mycroft?"

Mycroft turned to face his brother and John. He knew they were coming- John always managed to drag him into their antics somehow and he had heard them coming down the hall. Mycroft would never admit it, but he enjoyed spending time with the boys. It gave him a chance to make sure they were okay, and happy or find out what was wrong and if at all possible fix it. "Yes Sherlock?"

"John wants to make a cake, but can't use the oven. You can."

John picks up immediately "Will you come help us so I can make the cake please?" Sherlock never really _asked_ anything of anyone that wasn't John so John has slipped into the habit of asking the question Sherlock implied to people.

Mycroft didn't mind watching them in the kitchen, and he suspected that Sherlock might just try to talk John into making the cake anyway if he didn't say yes, and John- who was a little adrenaline junkie- would probably do it. "I'm coming." He stood up and followed the two boys out of his room.

After stopping long enough to ask Violet they headed right for the kitchen.

John immediately starts listing the ingredients they'll need. "I need butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and milk. Do you have all of that?" Mycroft gathered everything that was listed with Sherlock's help before going for measuring interments.

John is happily measuring out everything as Sherlock places a bowl in front of him. John tells him what to put in and how, Mycroft even helping them both with the milk and putting the batter into the pan when it's done.

John and Sherlock have occasional splatters of batter or flour in on their clothes, face and hair while Mycroft has managed to avoid any mess. Mycroft finds himself amused with the shock of white in Sherlock's dark curls.

The last time Mycroft had seen Sherlock with anything in his hair, it was because an experiment had gone wrong and blown up setting every smoke detector in the house off.

Sherlock spotted the look on his brother's face and retaliated by getting some of the flour on the counter and flicking in on him. Mycroft blinked as John giggled and called "Sherlock!"

Sherlock turned to look at John. "He was laughing at me."

"He didn't make a sound Sherlock."

"It was in his eyes."

John giggled some more as he headed for the sink to clean himself up.

Mycroft didn't honestly think that a cake made mostly by two seven year olds would taste any good, but he ended up with a piece along with Sherlock, John and Mummy.

Mycroft was surprised when the cake turned out to be the best he had ever had.

It was moist and delicious and chocolaty without overdoing it.

When all was said and done, Sherlock, Mummy and John only had four pieces between them- Sherlock having the second piece later that day for dinner.

Mycroft wasn't sure how it had happened, but _he_ was the one to eat the rest of the cake.

John was excited that he liked his cake and promised to learn more recipes so they could make more cakes.

Mycroft knew it would be bad for his health and waistline, but if John could make more cakes the way he made the chocolate pound cake, Mycroft was absolutely all for it.

Bring on the cake.


	5. Chapter 5

_Summary: The first kidnapping attempt of John Watson for being with Sherlock happens when he is seven years old and Sherlock comes along for the ride. John doesn't even panic, instead he tells the man flat out. "You guys are stupid."_

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Violet Holmes is a very observant woman. She's worked behind the scenes on some very classified world saving projects. She has raised two very curious genius children with a habit of experimenting with all kinds of things ranging from why something works to how they can improve upon it.

She is very observant, so it only takes her a minute to realize that Sherlock and John are not in the park any more. She doesn't panic about it, Sherlock and John are very curious adrenaline junkies so she is used to the children getting into places they shouldn't be. Instead she stands and starts looking for the two of them from the last place she had seen the children.

As soon as she approaches the area, under a large shady tree, she tenses minutely, her eyes narrowing. There were signs of a struggle. Her boys, because John has been one of hers the moment the seven year old had gotten both of her boys laughing and playing and baking together, hadn't wandered off. They had been taken. She narrowed her eyes, reading what had happened from the scene and becoming a very focused kind of angry as she did.

John went down first.

He had been grabbed from behind. He's reacted by first trying to pull away and then any means necessary- biting, kicking, clawing, hitting and scratching among them- before he had been knocked out.

Sherlock was taken down next.

He hadn't gone down easy either. The second attacker hadn't managed to take Sherlock. Sherlock had seen John get grabbed from where he'd climbed the tree and had quickly gotten down. The second man had tried to sneak up on him, but Sherlock had noticed and used pressure points quite well to take the man down. The man that had John had used John to get Sherlock before countering the pressure points so the man could move well. Then the men had taken her children away. They had run towards the parking lot.

She straightened sharply before pulling out her cell phone and dialing quickly. "Madam?" a male voice Violet had known for years answered.

"I need access to the street cameras in the immediate area. Don't pretend you don't have a lock on my position already Henry. I know you do."

"Yes Ma'am. May I ask why?"

She had known Henry for a long while, so she answered the man. "I am hunting vermin who thought it wise to take my children from me."

There is silence for only a second before Henry comes back over the line, voice hard. "I'll have them momentarily Madam." Henry has always had a soft spot for children so Violet knows this knowledge would only succeed in making the man work faster than he usually would.

Violet is already headed for the parking lot the black car pulling up as she approaches and slips into the back seamlessly. "Send the information to my GPS."

"It's being done now madam."

She gives the parting command of "Keep eyes on that vehicle Henry."

"Yes Ma'am."

She hangs up and turns her attention to her driver. "Al."

Alfred Jameson has worked with her family for many years, has been trained for all sorts of scenarios, and is very trustworthy as well as fond of Mycroft, Sherlock, and especially John who had managed to bypass the Holmes brother's barriers. "Ma'am."

"Follow that route. The men at the end have the boys."

Violet sees Alfred's shoulders tense up a bit before the car is instantly moving. The man drives like a professional. He finds his way through the heavy traffic. Violet ponders the stupidity of the men who took her boys. Traffic was heavy here, and while she could have found the men by other means, in this way Violet is able to follow the men, prepare, and have backup in Alfred all at the same time.

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John wakes up tied to a chair with Sherlock unconscious next to him.

Unlike most children, John doesn't panic about where he is or why he's there. Sherlock had told him in the beginning once he realized that John wasn't going anywhere that it was very possible that they would be kidnapped. Sherlock then proceeded to tell him why he didn't need to panic about it.

And really, John had known the Holmes family for two years. He had learned in those two years that Violet was very well connected, everyone that worked in the Manor was a retired something- ranging from ex-soldiers to ex-CIA- and they were all protective of everyone in the Manor. John has seen Violet at work and he knew she had to have known they were taken moments after it happened. Add on the fact that Violet was very well connected to all kinds of people and John knew she knew where they were. On top of all that, they had locked Sherlock in the room with him. Sherlock was seven, but John knew Sherlock was a genius. The boy would come up with _something_ when he woke up. John had faith in that.

Still.

John wasn't helpless himself. He started struggling with the ropes, tugging and twisting and testing them in every way he could think of that wouldn't draw attention. He only stills when the door is opened into the room. "Oh? You're up?"

John doesn't say anything.

"Scared brat?"

John scowled. He hated it when people said he was scared when he wasn't. "No."

"Oh?" the male almost seems to be laughing at him. "You're either brave or stupid."

John rolled his eyes "You're the one who's stupid."

"Really now? Why would you say that?" the man has that same 'I'm laughing at you' tone from before as he asks the question.

John stares the man in the face, smiles and answers "We'll be home in time for tea." He is perfectly serious.

The man stares at him before scoffing "Right" and walking out.

"John."

John turns to face Sherlock and grins. "Oh good. You're awake."

"You're not panicking."

"I don't need to. Now can you reach my hands?"

A moment of silence before "No."

"Hmm. Okay. I'll get it." John goes back to calmly trying to loosen the ropes on his hands, promising himself silently that he will learn how to get out of ropes faster when this is all over.

"…I do not understand why you are not having the normal reaction of panic in kidnap scenarios"

John stilled for a second as he registered the statement that was really Sherlock's way of saying he couldn't really figure something out and would like John to explain it. "Violet is already on her way here, you're with me, and they think we're just stupid little kids. They don't know who they're messing with and they're idiots. We'll be home in time for tea. I don't have to panic. There's no reason."

Sherlock remained still for only a fraction of a second before a small smile appeared on his face. He loved that John had faith in the Holmes family and in Sherlock and himself. It made him feel…warm and wanted. He enjoyed the feelings, especially since every other child he had met _couldn't_ deal with him and usually reacted…unfavorably.

Sherlock is quicker to get out of his ropes, having been trained for stuff like this since he was old enough to understand and he had thought any pirate needed to know how to escape ropes, and he works on his feet as John manages to get his hands free and starts on his own feet.

Soon enough the two children are free and sliding to their feet.

Their kidnappers had left the door unlocked. John scoffs at their stupidity while Sherlock rolls his eyes and they slip out the door. They're inside a house of some kind. A large expensive looking house.

John wrinkles his nose. The décor is tacky and he doesn't like it. Especially since he is used to the Holmes Manor with its classy tasteful design with complementary splashes of color. The two children slip down the hall carefully John a step behind Sherlock.

They both pause when they hear the sound of wood crunching followed by yells of panic and pain. John grins. "Violet's here."

Sherlock smirks as he listens to the panicked voices of the men who took them "Indeed."

Seconds later Violet walks turns the corner down the hall looking pristine and for all the world as if she's taking a stroll in the park and not breaking into the house of someone who had kidnapped her boys.

John and Sherlock are both subjected to mothering as Violet checks them over carefully and asks them if they are alright as she snags their hands and leads them out of the house and towards Alfred who is waiting by the car- not a hair out of place- and who greets them "Good day young sirs, madam. We'll be home shortly."

They do indeed make it home in time for tea…and Mycroft's panicked mother hen tendencies over the both of them despite trying to play it off like he wasn't doing anything at all.

The boys take the tea and biscuits Mycroft basically shoves into their hands and nibble them, watching as Mycroft starts to relax now that he has done something to help them both even a little.

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**I know John sound older and smarter than his age. I have taken the view that 95% of the time his is at the Holmes Manor which is inhabited with three geniuses. There is no way he isn't going to pick up things and expand his knowledge base this way. So he sounds older because he's learning from and being taught by three geniuses. **


End file.
